India won’t forget Kargil ‘betrayal’

NEW DELHI, JULY 17: India today asserted that a conducive atmosphere was necessary for holding meaningful dialogue with Pakistan as "we cannot forget Kargil" and the "betrayal" so soon. "We will not say no to talks….but a situation has to be created where we feel the talks would help", National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra said today on Doordarshan. In Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif renewed his offer for `meaningful’ dialogue to resolve the Kashmir problem and said unless the Kashmir problem was resolved `many new Kargil-like situations’ would arise.

Speaking on DD, Mishra said government will take measures to ensure that Kargil situation is not repeated by having army presence in the area and inducting modern technological methods for surveillance and detection."There has been no army presence in the area for the last 27 years," he said.Mishra said India acted with restraint in the Kargil conflict and the world has understood that. "Then Pakistan understood that it was the end of thegame", he said.

He said India will not accept internationalisation or third party mediation on the issue.

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"Other countries attention towards us has been drawn, we cannot stop that. But, that does not mean we would seek third party mediation. No, never", he said.

Mishra said the Indian army was now engaged in verifying the withdrawal of the intruders from the Indian side of LoC and it is expected to be known by tonight or tomorrow whether it has been completed.